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Sun City residents share cooking traditions

For The Sun Today The Bon Appétit Cooking Club met in October to endulge in delicious autumn treats.

With Thanksgiving a week away, Bon Appétit Cooking Club members are sharing recipes and are thankful for a club that celebrates food.

Bon Appétit Cooking Club president Ellen Altman moved to Sun City five years ago and has a love for cooking. She wanted to recreate her New York life in Sun City and cooking was a hobby she continued.

“I’ve always loved cooking and I learned by watching my mother and sister-in-law,” Altman said. “My girlfriend and I had a little catering business for about 10 years and I loved it. I wanted to continue the life I had in New York when I moved to Sun City so I joined the Bon Appétit Cooking Club.”

Altman said she enjoys being a member more, but that being president is not a tough job. She organizes the speakers for monthly meetings and cooking demonstrations. With about 400 members, Altman said 225 members are active.

The club offers not only three diverse special interest groups — baking, food and wine and ethnic cooking — but also offers regular outings to restaurants for cooking demonstrations. The club has monthly meetings where the members quickly discuss club business then a special speaker usually demonstrates how to cook a recipe.

“I really enjoy not only seeing the demonstration but tasting it,” Altman said. “We’ve had a diverse group of speakers. We’ve had a gentleman come in and teach us how to cook Alaskan seafood and another resident came in to demonstrate how to sharpen knives.”

For Thanksgiving, Altman will have her daughter and grandchildren visiting. While in past years she has cooked for her family, Altman plans to go to a neighbor’s house for Thanksgiving.

“My neighbor invites those who are away from their extended family for the holidays and cooks,” Altman said. “For Thanksgiving, I love making sweet potatoes because it is from an old family recipe and everyone enjoys it.”

Altman said she also used to cook apple pie every Thanksgiving because New York is known for their apples.

For Carol Treanor, joining the Bon Appétit Cooking Club was an easy decision. She joined eight years ago and has learned many new recipes.

“I’m part of the baking special interest group and we try to experiment with different recipes each month,” Treanor said. “I’ve tried things that I hadn’t even thought about tasting or baking.”

Treanor will have a busy Thanksgiving because she will host 20 neighbors. She prepares the turkeys, stuffing and gravy while others bring side dishes.

“For the past five years, I’ve been having neighbors who are away from their extended family for the holidays,” Treanor said. “It is more of a cooperative dinner and we have a great time.”

Treanor plans to make a brined turkey.

“Brining will make the turkey more flavorful instead of drying it out,” Treanor said. “I’ve found a pre-mixed brine seasoning that contains juniper berries, apples and some other spices.”

Treanor said her favorite thing to make for Thanksgiving is stuffing which she found in a newspaper more than 15 years ago. “I can’t remember what newspaper I received it from because the article has browned with age,” Treanor said. “It is a sausage and apple dressing recipe and I’ve been using it for about 15 years.”